Munich Helles Water Treatment

I just checked the water profile report of my city (Roeland Park, KS) in anticipation of brewing a Munich Helles. Here are the specifics:
• Alkalinity: 60 ppm
• Calcium: 73 ppm
• Magnesium: 60 ppm
• Sodium: 52 ppm
• Chloride: 55 ppm
• Sulfate: 124ppm
• BiCarbonate (HCO3): ??????
• pH: 9.6

According to John Palmer's Mash Residual Alkalinity Worksheet, the water has a residual alkalinity of -27, and I need to get it closer to -74 to achieve the SRM characteristic of the style.
My question is whether gypsum is the best additive to achieve this result given my water's profile.
Also, the chloride to sulfate ratio of my water is rated as very bitter by the worksheet. Does this mean I should use less hops than the recipe calls for or that I should neutralize the bitterness with another sort of additive?
Thank you much!

Go to the Brew Science forum and look at the Brewing Water Chemistry Primer sticky thread. Everything you have questions on will be covered and covered well by ajdelange.

Good luck.

cp

CPooley4 said:

Go to the Brew Science forum and look at the Brewing Water Chemistry Primer sticky thread. Everything you have questions on will be covered and covered well by ajdelange.

Good luck.

cp

Click to expand...

+1

Specifically you have much more sulfate than Munich and that will be problematic.

Helles would be brewed with fairly low ion water (decarbonated munich water for example) with biological acidification (sauergut or sauermalt) to set the pH.